Date At The Zoo
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: Yang and Pyrrha were good friends, be it in the classroom, study hall, the gym, or on the battlefield. Yang trusted her with a lot of things – she just wasn't quite sure if her baby sister was one of them. [Pyrruby for jefardi!]


**A request from jefardi! Thank you so much for your support! I've only written Pyrruby once before, so this was a lot of fun to give them their own long story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

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Date At The Zoo

That morning, Ruby was jumping out of bed from her top bunk and tapping the alarm clock before it had even finished its first ring.

She'd maneuvered herself around Zwei, careful not to wake him, and landed neatly and quietly, removing her Grimm sleep-mask and tossing her bed-head of hair back and out of her eyes.

An eager grin spread across her face as she darted off across the room toward her drawers, pulling them open and digging through them to fish out the first articles of clothing that met her eyes. Rose petals flitted about the room as she scurried off into the bathroom to freshen up and change clothes. She was so delighted, she was even humming to herself.

As the young leader all but danced her way around the room and into the bathroom, Blake had been the first to wake, her sensitive ears picking up on the sounds of her leader's footsteps. The Faunus girl stretched her arms out in front of her from where she lie on her stomach, hiding a yawn against her pillow.

She pushed herself up, ran a hand through her disheveled hair, and perked up her ears. Her eyes flashed to the alarm clock which displayed the date just above the time.

"Oh, right," she mumbled to herself. "It's Saturday. No class, but Ruby's got her-"

Blake's recap of today's future events was cut short when she heard groaning and incoherent mumbling coming from above. She glanced up over the side of Yang's bed to find the blonde rolling herself out of her blankets and yawning like a lioness. She quickly shook her head and rubbed her knuckles over her eyes to help open them.

"What's that...?" she mumbled. "You said it's Saturday?" Instantly, her eyes went wide, and a smile covered her lips. "Oh, man! Today is Ruby's date!"

Suddenly, Yang was kicking her legs over the edge of the bed and jumping down with a _thud_ , her person now bursting with energy and displaying no signs whatsoever of the previously-lethargic girl.

"It's my lil' sis' big day!"

She reached down her hands and took both of Blake's, pulling the surprised Faunus out of bed and up to her feet. Yang twirled her around a few times, giggling excitedly, and Blake humored her.

Their movements were what finally roused the heiress of the team. With an unsatisfied groan, Weiss flipped herself over to face the other two where they merrily spun around the room.

"For heaven's sake," Weiss grunted. "Don't you realize how late we stayed up last night? It's too early for this."

At the sound of her raspy voice, Yang promptly released her partner and instead spun around to plop herself down on the edge of Weiss' mattress. The heiress snorted and moved away, but Yang had already leaned over and trapped her.

"Aw, c'mon, Weiss. It's Ruby's big day, remember?"

Weiss feared Yang might pull her up and force her to dance like an idiot, too. But luckily, the blonde soon released her and went back to Blake instead.

Once Weiss had a moment to gather herself, she released a long-winded sigh that carried with it all the minutes of sleep she'd been deprived of this morning.

Nonetheless, she pushed herself up and out of bed, noting the red petals already littering the carpet. She waited a moment for the feeling to trickle back into her legs, then staggered across the room to the closed bathroom door.

Weiss knew this was a nerve-racking time for Ruby, considering who she'd be going out with; Weiss herself had had a crush on Pyrrha for quite some time, though hers was more for admiration than anything else.

Lightly, she rapped her knuckles on the door and cleared her throat.

"Ruby? Are you alright in there? Need any help?"

At her question, Yang paused in her excited dancing and quieted herself to listen for her little sister's response. Luckily for Blake, that meant she could peel herself away from her energetic partner and sit heavily back down on her bed to catch her breath.

Weiss moved a step closer to the bathroom door to listen for the response. It was a nervous whimper on Ruby's part. The heiress tapped her hand against the door once again.

"Ruby?"

This time, her partner replied.

"Waaah, Weeiissss!" Ruby wailed. "I don't know if I'm doing this right! I mean like this whole getting-ready-for-a-date-with-one-of-the-prettiest-girls-in-school kinda thing! Should I put on make-up?"

"What?" It was Yang who spoke now, and she quickly made her way over to stand beside Weiss. "Does my lil' sis need a makeover? Lemme do your hair for you! Oh, and maybe a bit of foundation or some blush-"

"No!" Ruby whined. "Yang, whenever you'd dress me up, I'd always come out looking like some fashion model freak! I wanna look nice!"

Her little sister's rejection of the offer for help struck Yang hard. She started to fall like a tree that had been hit with an axe. Had it not been for Blake's getting up from the bed to hurry over and catch her, she surely would've splintered into a million pieces on the floor.

"Easy," she chuckled, helping Yang sit on the floor. "She's just nervous, Yang. And... you _can_ be a bit overbearing with her sometimes. Don't be so upset."

The blonde sighed, burying her face in her hands.

"Fine. Just... lemme take a picture before she leaves, okay?"

Blake chuckled again.

"She's going on a date, not getting married."

By then, Ruby had cracked open the door a little bit and peered outside.

"Blake? Could you help me pick an outfit?"

"Of course."

The Faunus girl passed off the responsibility of looking after the sulking Yang to the heiress as she herself slipped into the bathroom. Inside, she helped Ruby choose which outfit to wear for her date today.

"I don't think you need to be too fancy, considering where you'll be going. It's a little breezy out. Dress for comfort."

They went through the clothes Ruby had grabbed and brought into the bathroom. Ultimately, they decided on black leggings, a patchwork mini-skirt, and a red hoodie. Ruby hugged Blake and thanked her, and the Faunus girl patted her head.

"Just have a good time, okay? Don't worry about anything else."

Blake took her leave from the bathroom to let Ruby change clothes. She stepped back into the dorm room to find Yang still moping on the floor while Weiss lectured her gently.

"You can't keep babying her," she was saying. "She may be a child, but she's not an infant."

"But she'll always be my baby sister!"

"I know, I know."

The heiress looked up to Blake, her eyes silently begging for help – she wasn't good at consoling people about this sort of thing. Luckily for her, Ruby's voice called out just then.

"Weiss? Could you help me with my hair?"

"Absolutely."

The heiress hastily got to her feet and hurried to the bathroom where Ruby let her in. She was already dressed in the outfit Blake had chosen for her, and Weiss complimented it kindly.

"That looks very nice. I'm sure Pyrrha will think the same."

Ruby blushed at her words, but managed a smile.

Weiss placed her hands on the brunette's shoulders and turned her around to face the mirror.

"Now, let me help you with your hair." She picked up Ruby's hair brush and start to comb through her hair gently, careful not to tug. She could feel how stiff her leader was, and Weiss tapped the girl's shoulder briefly. "Relax. You're going to be fine."

Ruby took a deep breath and nodded.

By the time Weiss had finished with her hair, it was soft and neat with a tiny clip of a ribbon fastened in on one side. Ruby hugged her partner as well and thanked her.

"No thanks necessary," Weiss said. "Just have a good time, Ruby."

Weiss slipped out of the bathroom, and at last Ruby followed, carrying all the rejected outfits in her arms. Instantly, Yang perked up, forgetting her pouting as she ran over to her little sister, arms wide.

"Ohhh my gosh! You look adorable!"

"Yang, wait! Don't ruin my outfit!"

The blonde came screeching to a halt and froze in place, quickly lessening the strength of her intended embrace. Instead, she wrapped Ruby up softly, pulled her in, and lifted her up off the floor. The discarded laundry fell to the carpet and Ruby chuckled nervously.

"Yang, I don't know if I'm ready..."

"Hey, hey." Yang placed her sister down again and ran a finger through Ruby's bangs. "Ruby, you're gonna have a great time today with Pyrrha. That's all that matters. Just have fun. Y'know what they say – don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things!"

That made Ruby laugh out loud.

"Right! Thanks, Yang!"

With her confidence boosted, Ruby was the one to throw her arms around her sister and hug her tightly. Yang was beaming with pride and joy as she kissed her sister's forehead.

Once Ruby and Yang parted, the older of the two herded the younger toward the little cabinets where they kept their cereals and insisted Ruby eat before she head out. The brunette scarfed down some sugary rainbow cubes and two glasses of milk, then made sure to ask the others if she still looked presentable.

"You look fine, Ruby," they insisted.

"Are you sure?" she fretted. "Uh, I'm gonna go brush my teeth again just in case!"

And she tore off to disappear into the bathroom once again.

The other three shared amused glances and shook their heads. Weiss made a comment as she went about picking up the shed rose petals and laundry from the carpet.

"I don't think I've ever seen her quite as excited about anything."

"Except Crescent Rose," Blake put in.

"I'm happy for her," Yang grinned. "Pyrrha's a great gal! I'm sure she and Ruby are gonna have a lot of fun today!"

Just as the alarm clock changed to read 9:00AM, a knock came on the door. Weiss, who was arguably the most presentable of the three, hurried to open it. Even before it was all the way open, a familiar, cheerful voice spoke.

"Good morning, neighbors!"

The three girls inside moved over a bit to let her in.

Pyrrha Nikos – the renown fighter and winner of the Mistral tournament four years in a row – stood before them.

Her shoes were rather fancy, golden in color with straps running along the tops and sides, 2-inch heels making her that much taller. Her earthy-brown skirt reached down to her knees where the slight tan of her skin was revealed. Her blouse was off-white and flowing, and a soft pink wool jacket covered her shoulders. Most of her crimson hair had been pulled back into a purposefully-messy bun, but a good many locks of it spilled out onto her shoulders and down her back. Her emerald eyes shined like polished gems, though nothing was quite as bright as her smile.

Once the other three had finished their momentary gawking – and regretting their own poor appearances – they greeted her in return.

"Good morning, Pyrrha." Weiss dipped her head. "You look stunning."

"Really," Blake agreed. "Your outfit is beautiful."

"Aw man, wait till Ruby sees!" Yang cooed.

Pyrrha's cheeks ran a slight pinkish color at the compliments.

"Really? You don't think it's _too_ much?"

"Nonsense."

"It's fine."

"It's just perfect!"

Their reassurances eased Pyrrha's nerves.

"Okay. Thank you all."

At last, the final piece to their puzzle arrived. Throwing the bathroom door open, Ruby darted across the room toward her teammates, completely unaware of the new occupant of the room.

"Guys! Is this-"

But the second her eyes met emerald, Ruby instantly changed course. She skidded to a halt, turned herself, and then threw herself at Pyrrha with a hearty cry of her name.

"Pyrrhaaaa!"

"Oh!"

Luckily for Ruby, Pyrrha's reflexes were as quick as the brunette's feet. She opened her arms and easily caught the excited young huntress, cradling Ruby against her chest as she felt arms loop around her shoulders.

"Good morning, Ruby! My, my, you look beautiful!"

The brunette chuckled sheepishly, her feet off the ground as her taller girlfriend kept a tight hold on her. Slowly, Pyrrha lowered her back down. Ruby quickly smoothed out her hair and clothes and looked Pyrrha up and down with awe in her eyes.

"Not _nearly_ as beautiful as _you!_ Pyrrha, you look amazing!"

The blush returned to the champion's face, and she actually looked down at the floor this time. Funny how the others and even her own teammates could compliment her, and it never had the same effect as it did when the words were coming from Ruby. She really had a soft spot for the girl, in many more ways than one.

As the two exchanged greeting and kind words, it was up to Weiss and Blake to gently coax Yang away from her little sister. It was difficult for her to let Ruby go on her first date – she was still so young, and it felt like Pyrrha was stealing her away from Yang.

The other two guessed as much and lowered their voices so only Yang could hear.

"It's alright, Yang," Blake smiled. "Pyrrha's going to take good care of her."

"And look how happy Ruby is about this," Weiss added.

"I know, I know..." The blonde sighed, fidgeting a bit in her spot, her eyes still flashing up toward her sister. "I know they're not doing anything dangerous, but I'm still just... I dunno."

"I think I can understand," Blake murmured.

"Like... that's my lil' sister, y'know?" Yang bit her lip. "She's always gonna be my lil' sister."

"Now, now," Weiss, tapped her shoulder. "She's going to Vale with Pyrrha for a few hours. You're not sending her across Remnant to get married to some stranger, you know. You can trust Pyrrha."

Yang sighed, still a little distressed, but nodded again.

By this time, Ruby and Pyrrha had finished excitedly complimenting one another and had decided they were ready to head out. Ruby spun around to face her team and presented them with a toothy smile.

"Alllrighty! We'll be off!"

"Have fun, Ruby," Weiss called to her.

"Be safe," Blake said.

They each nudged Yang a little bit, prompting her to speak. The blonde did her best to plaster on a smile despite how nervous she was inside. She shook her head a little to clear it, then finally met her little sister's gaze.

"Yeah... yeah, they're right!" She clapped her hands loudly. "You're gonna have a great time, Ruby! I know you will! Don't forget to bring your scroll and take tons of pictures, 'kay? I'm gonna miss you all day..."

Ruby's own smile faded for a moment – just a tiny bit.

"Aw, Yang..." Then, she tore across the room from Pyrrha's side and hurled herself at her sister. Yang was even more of an expert at catching her in a tight embrace, one Ruby knew better than anything. "I'll text you every hour!" she said. "I'm gonna have a lot of fun, so don't worry about me, okay?"

"That's not possible, Ruby. But I'll do my best!"

While the sisters hugged for a long moment, Pyrrha made her way across the room to stand before Yang. By now, her expression was more serious, earnest, her eyes unwavering as she addressed the blonde.

"Yang."

The brawler lifted her face from where it had been buried in Ruby's hair. Lavender locked with emerald and neither blinked.

"Yeah? What's up, Pyrrha?"

Yang and Pyrrha were good friends, be it in the classroom, study hall, the gym, or on the battlefield. Yang trusted her with a lot of things – she just wasn't quite sure if her baby sister was one of them.

Pyrrha wanted to prove her worth. She dipped her torso in a low bow, the loose strands of her hair falling forward over her shoulders.

"Yang, I'm sorry if this is causing you worry," she began. "But I _promise_ you I'll have her back before five this evening. I'll keep her safe no matter what. I'll never leave her side."

Here, she straightened her posture once more, so she may hold Yang's gaze with her own. "I know how hard this must be on you. And I know Ruby is capable of making her own decisions and choices... But I don't really feel comfortable taking her out today unless you give me your approval. This isn't a matter of me not trusting Ruby – it's a matter of me not trusting myself."

With her statement made, she waited in silence for the verdict. They all did. Weiss and Blake shared uncertain glances with one another, then looked to Yang.

The blonde had just put Ruby down, though she still kept her arms around her. Her eyes were trained on Pyrrha's as she took a deep breath.

"Hey, now," she chuckled. "You're a great gal, Pyrrha. I know that for myself. Heck, all of Remnant knows it. You're super polite and respectful. I know you'll treat Ruby well. I trust you. And you don't need my approval, Pyrrha. Just Ruby's."

With that, she released her little sister and stepped away. Ruby sniffled a little bit and hugged her again, feeling the familiar kiss being planted on her forehead, then the top of her head.

Then, she stepped away and retreated to Pyrrha's side. The crimson-haired girl was absolutely beaming with joy.

Blake and Weiss said nothing, standing side by side and feeling as though they'd just witnessed a proud father giving up his baby girl to a spouse.

"This is really something..." Blake muttered.

"For heaven's sake!" Weiss grunted. "They're just going to the zoo!"

Nonetheless, Pyrrha kept the formalities on high.

"Thank you, Yang. As I said, we're going to have a grand time today, aren't we, Ruby?"

"Yeah! It's gonna be great!" Then, she quickly turned to Weiss and Blake and whispered. "You guys take care of Yang for me, okay?"

They nodded swiftly, winking and giving smiles.

"Hey," Yang said suspiciously. "What's all this about-"

"Nothing," Blake cut her off. "Anyway, you two should get going."

"Yes!" Weiss insisted. "You're going to miss your Air Ship!"

"Oh!" Pyrrha gasped. "She's right! Come on, Ruby!" Reaching out, Pyrrha took the girl's hand and pulled her toward the door. "We'll be back in a few hours!" she called back.

"Yes, have fun!"

"Take pictures!"

The rest of Ruby's team called out behind her just as the door closed behind Pyrrha and herself. Only then did she realize that all of her nervousness had been dashed by their efforts. Now, she was bubbling with energy and eagerness, bounding down the hallway beside Pyrrha while maintaining a grip on her hand.

"I'm _sooo_ excited!" she chirped. "I haven't been to the zoo in forever!"

"Neither have I," Pyrrha smiled. "It's going to be a lot of fun!"

"If we can catch our ship!" Ruby reminded her. "Let's run!"

"Pardon?"

But it was already too late to protest. Ruby took off down Beacon's hallways like a miniature rocket ship, spewing red, rosy fuel behind her. Pyrrha was tugged along, quickly managing to adjust her pace into a longer stride to follow along. She followed Ruby to the nearest exit doors and was pulled through them in seconds.

Outside, the day was warm and breezy, springtime sunlight bathing the world below, making the grass shimmer like the waves of a tiny green sea. Students were walking about leisurely without the stress of having to get to classes this morning. Some sat on benches or in the fields, at picnic tables or along the sidewalk.

In the peaceful meandering of the rest of the campus, Ruby and Pyrrha were a streak of red flashing by, bound for the Air Ship docks.

Pyrrha didn't realize when she'd started to laugh, but it hadn't taken long at all.

She kept pace alongside Ruby as they darted across campus, weaving in an out of crowds. Pyrrha sent out several apologies as they hurried by. "Sorry! Excuse us! Coming through!"

A trail of petals flew up behind them, marking their path. They continued to run and giggle, until the boarding docks were in sight. There was a public transport Ship waiting there with its doors down, and the two girls wasted no time in rushing aboard.

When at last they'd made it inside, Ruby brought them to a halt.

"Made it!" she declared, puffing out her chest proudly. She still had a grip on Pyrrha's hand and turned to look at her girlfriend. "That was a nice refreshing run, wouldn't ya say?"

Pyrrha gave a short laugh that she would've liked to have been longer, but she was a bit winded at the moment. While her right hand was occupied in Ruby's left, Pyrrha's other hand was on her knee, her posture slouched slightly as she caught her breath.

"My..." she panted. "I'll say! That was wonderful, Ruby! I haven't... had a run like that in a long time! It felt wonderful!"

Despite her heartfelt words, Pyrrha swayed a little bit. Ruby gasped and quickly reached out to steady her.

"Oh, geez! You okay?"

Pyrrha laughed again.

"I'm just grand, Ruby!"

"You sure? I kinda forgot you were wearing heels..."

"It's fine! Please don't worry about it!" Still smiling, Pyrrha straightened herself up. With a small tug, she pulled Ruby in and bent down to press a kiss to the girl's cheek. "I love your energy, Ruby. It does wonders for me. Thank you!"

Ruby giggled happily at the kiss, a faint dusting of red spreading over her cheeks.

"Okay then," she smiled. "Let's go grab a seat!"

Reaching out, she took Pyrrha's hand and slowly led her over toward the aisles of cushioned seats lining the sides of the Ship. There were a few dozen other people on the Air Ship with them, but plenty of spots available.

Ruby naturally headed for a window seat, tugging Pyrrha along behind her. The brunette plopped herself down next to the glass, eager to look out once they started moving.

"Perfect!" she announced.

Still smiling as well, Pyrrha took the seat beside Ruby, still holding her hand. She settled her shoulder blades back against the cushion and for the first time that morning, relaxed her posture.

Ruby kept bouncing in her seat, eager for the Ship to take off. After a few more minutes, it finally did, lifting them all high into the sky. Ruby stared out the window wondrously, never getting tired of the view of the clouds right next to her and the land so far below.

Each seat on the Air Ship came equipped with its own screen for watching videos or listening to music on the ride. Ruby let go of Pyrrha's hand only to reach for her headphones and slip them on. Pyrrha did the same, searching for music that suited her tastes.

Once she'd found some, she subtly moved her hand aside, seeking Ruby's again, tracing her fingertips along the backs of the girl's knuckles. Ruby perked up and smiled at her, then happily curled her fingers against Pyrrha's palm.

With a sigh and a smile, Pyrrha closed her eyes for a moment. The music helped to distract her a bit, and the tiny pressure of Ruby's hand worked wonders for her.

Before, all the preparations and running through the halls had been more than enough to keep her mind busy. But now, sitting there for however long it took to get to Vale, she knew the nerves would come back to haunt her.

It was her first date too, after all.

For a few minutes, Pyrrha indulged herself in her music, eyes closed and mind focused on the words of the songs, the notable flute or piano parts, the subtler harp...

When she next reopened her eyes, she found Ruby watching her with concern in her eyes. Pyrrha straightened up immediately, using her free hand to pull off her headphones to let them settle around her neck.

"Ruby? What is it?"

Ruby also pulled off her headphones, though she kept her other hand in Pyrrha's.

"You tell me," she said. "You just looked really uneasy, Pyrrha. You were squeezing my hand really hard."

"Oh, was I?" she gasped. "I'm so sorry!" Immediately, she made a move to take her hand away. But Ruby tightened her grip just a little to keep her there.

"No, it's okay," she assured. "I just wanted to make sure _you_ were okay. Do you feel alright? Do you get airsick? If you want we can-"

"No, no, no!" Pyrrha said rather loudly in her haste. She quickly covered her mouth and lowered her voice, mumbling apologies the other passengers never demanded of her. Her emerald eyes went to silver, which were still bubbling with concern. "Ruby, I'm sorry I worried you. But I'm fine! I'm just fine. I promise. I'm just... a little nervous. That's all."

Ruby was silent for a moment, as though trying to process the thought of _the_ Pyrrha Nikos being nervous about _anything_.

"Nervous... about what?" she wondered.

Pyrrha shrugged a little, offering a hopeless smile.

"About today. Our date," she confessed. "I've... never been on one before."

At that revelation, Ruby couldn't keep her voice down.

" _What?!_ " she blurted. "You haven't-? I mean, neither have I, but _you?_ When you're so super pretty and talented and such an awesome fighter? You've never gone out with anyone before?"

Each subsequent compliment had Pyrrha blushing a little harder. People praising her always made her bashful, but when it was Ruby, it melted her into jelly.

Pyrrha kicked her shoes in little embarrassed circles on the floor, lowering her gaze for a moment to their entwined hands.

"I'll admit... that I've been asked before. Several times on many different occasions..."

Ruby slid in a little closer, as much as the seats would allow.

"So... why didn't you ever say yes to anyone?"

Pyrrha lifted her gaze, her pink lips once more wearing that helpless smile.

"Because none of them were you."

Ruby felt a warm stingy feeling shoot through her chest, but it didn't hurt or feel uncomfortable. It made her heart flutter and her fingers clasp tighter around Pyrrha's. She made a little "Oh-" sound, surprised and startled, but overjoyed. Tears gathered in her eyes, touched by Pyrrha's confession.

The water didn't go unnoticed, and Pyrrha quickly reached out to touch her cheek.

"Ruby? What is it?"

Ruby bit her lip to keep it from trembling. She smiled and shook her head.

"Nothing. I'm just... really happy, Pyrrha!"

With that, she threw her arms around the taller girl's shoulders, burying her face in Pyrrha's collar. Their headphones clanked together, Pyrrha's calmer, more contemporary tunes merging with Ruby's modern rock.

Pyrrha willingly wrapped her arms around Ruby's back, pulling her in close. They both cried a little bit, then laughed a little bit.

Then, they kissed a little bit.

At first it was to the nearest spot – Ruby's hair for Pyrrha, and Pyrrha's shoulder for Ruby. But eventually, the two pulled away just enough to meet one another's eyes.

Hands reached up to cup cheeks, wipe away whichever small tears had slipped down. Pyrrha leaned down, bumping their noses together lightly with great affection. Ruby giggled, then moved in to peck her lips.

They still kept their kisses light and tentative, but weren't afraid to press in a little bit every now and then.

The kiss held for a moment, until each girl started to feel butterflies in her stomach. When they parted at last, their eyes still shimmered, and their lips were set into permanent smiles.

For the rest of the ride to Vale, Ruby scooched closer to lean against Pyrrha's side. The crimson-haired girl wrapped an arm around her back, pulling her in and kissing her hair once more.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence, each of their musics playing softly from the headphones around their necks. They dozed a little, preparing for the date ahead.

Once the Ship finally landed in Vale about fifteen minutes later, they put back their headphones and stood up to stretch. Pyrrha fixed her clothes a bit while Ruby stretched out her arms and kicked up her feet.

"I'm soooo ready for this!" she declared. "I haven't been to the zoo in years! I wonder if that big old elephant is still there..."

As she began recounting the species and names of every animal should could remember, Ruby took Pyrrha's hand once more and led her to the Ship's exit.

They walked down the platform side by side, greeted by the same warm sunlight. The din of the town filled the air – passing cars, blaring ship horns, barking dogs, and people talking.

But it wasn't as busy a feeling as it was on a weekday. Today, everything seemed a bit subtler, a little more carefree.

Pyrrha and Ruby kept pace beside one another along the sidewalk, their entwined hands swinging back and forth between them.

The zoo wasn't a very long walk, probably no more than ten minutes from where they'd landed. As they sauntered, Pyrrha made small talk, inquiring all Ruby knew about the zoo. And Ruby happily gabbed away about all the animals, how she and Yang and their dad had used to come here all the time when she was younger.

"What was your favorite part?" Pyrrha wondered.

"Oh man, that's tough..." Ruby put on a contemplative expression. "Umm... I think the petting zoo was the best! I loved getting to hug all the fluffy llamas!"

"That does sound grand!" Pyrrha agreed.

Before long, they reached the large gate entrance to the zoo. There was a bit of a line leading up to the ticket booth, but they passed the time by playing I Spy and remembering to use their scrolls to call their teammates to ensure them they'd arrived safely.

Once they got up to the window, Pyrrha spoke up.

"Two tickets, please."

The woman behind the window pushed her glasses further up onto her nose.

"One adult, one child?" she asked.

Pyrrha blushed, hoping Ruby hadn't taken offense. But when she looked down, her girlfriend was laughing.

"Pfff..." she chuckled to Pyrrha. "If Yang were here, she'd agree and say I was a kid so we could get cheaper tickets."

Pyrrha gently asked the woman for two adult tickets, and the clerk passed them over.

As Pyrrha reached into a pocket on the inside of her blouse for money, Ruby stopped her when she saw the amount Pyrrha withdrew.

"Wait, wait, hold on! Why are you pulling out so much lien?"

"To pay for our tickets?"

"No. I can pay for myself."

"A-Are you sure?" Pyrrha fretted as Ruby handed off her own money. "This is a date, right?"

"Yes," Ruby said. "But that doesn't mean you have to pay for everything! We can split it, okay?" She gave an innocent smile, one Pyrrha couldn't ever hope to refute. So she consented to only paying for her own ticket, and Ruby did the same.

"Or," Ruby said. "If it makes you feel better, let's pretend I paid for yours and you paid for mine. It's still the same price, anyway."

Pyrrha nodded at that.

"Alright. I like that idea!"

Finally finished with the finances, they slipped through the tall iron gates and into the zoo.

Instantly, all different sights and sounds flooded their senses.

There were children in colorful clothes yelling and laughing, walking alongside their parents or chasing one another with stuffed animals from the gift shop.

There were people enjoying lunch at picnic tables, and people in some of the animal houses. Humans and Faunus alike intermingled, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Colorful flags and signs with pictures of different animals on them told them which way led to which creatures.

Ruby stood there a moment, taking it all in, loving that the place hadn't changed much since her childhood.

Pyrrha was quite amazed by it all as well. As a child, she'd often been busy and never had gotten the chance to come here often. There had actually been one time her family had tried to bring her, but due to unfortunate weather circumstances, they had turned back at the entrance.

But now, it was all here at her fingertips.

Ruby's eager voice and a tug on her wrist woke Pyrrha from her reverie.

"Pyrrha?"

"Oh! Sorry! Yes, what is it?"

"It's okay, don't apologize!" Ruby grinned. "Where do you wanna go first? Wanna start small and work our way up?"

Pyrrha considered for a moment, then nodded.

"You're the expert here," she chuckled. "Lead the way."

"Allllrighty then!" Ruby started off, taking Pyrrha first toward one of the animal houses.

They went into the Reptile House first, which was dimly-lit inside. The first display they encountered was that of a large python, hidden in the foliage.

"Oh, my..." Pyrrha said, reading the little plaque of information about the snake . "It's incredible. It can eat once and then not need to eat again for weeks! Impressive!"

"Yeah! Snakes are soooo cool!" Ruby clapped. "Oh, oh, come look at this guy!"

She pulled Pyrrha from tank to tank, and they admired all the different snakes, turtles, lizards, and whatever else the zoo had to offer in this part.

After the reptiles, they went to the Rodent House, which was almost completely darkened inside.

"Because a lot of them are nocturnal!" Ruby explained.

They peered in a flying squirrels, little mice, and bigger rats.

After that, they visited the outdoor enclosures, starting with foxes, dingos, lynx, and other smaller predators. Ruby marveled at each and every one, going off on rants about her knowledge of them.

Pyrrha observed each creature intently, learning something new at every enclosure.

When they reached the more open fields where the bigger animals lumbered about, they needed to improvise a bit.

Pyrrha could clearly see the rhinos and wildebeest meandering about in the makeshift grasslands, entranced by their bulk and beauty.

However, Ruby was pouting because the guard rail was blocking the animals from view at her perspective. She tried to jump up to see the animals better, but the foliage in the enclosure concealed the beasts.

"Aw, maaan... Stupid guard rail fence thingy..."

Since Pyrrha was having no trouble seeing the animals from her perspective, she got an idea.

"Ruby. Come here a moment, please." She held out her hands expectantly.

Ruby blinked – confused – but nonetheless took her girlfriend's hands.

With one swift, smooth motion, Pyrrha pulled the girl into her arms, lifting Ruby's feet off the ground with ease. She perched the girl on her arm effortlessly and balanced Ruby's weight against her chest, elevating her a good few feet higher.

Ruby squeaked in surprise and delight, holding onto Pyrrha's shoulders to keep herself steady.

"How's this?" Pyrrha wondered. "Can you see?"

"Yeah!" Ruby giggled. "It's perfect! Thank you, Pyrrha!"

"Don't mention it!"

She held Ruby up for a moment longer, until the brunette was satisfied and asked to be put down. But just before Pyrrha let her hop to the ground, Ruby made sure to kiss her cheek appreciatively.

After a few hours of walking around, they stopped for lunch at a small food stand. Ruby bounced eagerly beside her girlfriend, mumbling about what she was going to get. As soon as they reached the vendor, Pyrrha frowned.

"Are there no salads here? Or fruit?"

"Uhhh, Pyrrha?" Ruby pointed up at the sign above. "This is a hot dog stand."

"Oh... Well then, I can just-"

"Get a hot dog!" Ruby finished for her. "And some fries!"

"Oh, I-I'm not sure, Ruby. I really shouldn't."

"What? Aw, c'mon, Pyrrha! It's not like you gotta watch your figure or anything! You don't need to worry about that kinda stuff! It's just one meal for one day! Be a rebel!"

As Ruby nudged her side with her elbow, Pyrrha caved.

"Well... I suppose you're right..."

"You know I am!"

Ruby ordered them each a hot dog and some fries to share. She also ordered herself a chocolate milkshake and Pyrrha requested water.

They paid for each other's food, and once it was ready, brought it over to a nearby picnic table. There were a few ducks and chickens loose around this area, walking around on the wood chips to entertain the people and pick up food scraps in the process.

Ruby continued to recount stories of her childhood as they ate, and Pyrrha sat with her chin in her palm, listening contentedly.

"Oh!" Ruby was saying. "And there was this one time I went on the animal rides with Yang. You can either go on an elephant or a camel. I really wanted to go on the elephant so Yang went with me. It was really cool! I fed him a peanut! And then we ended up getting back on line and going on the camel together, too!"

"That sounds grand!" Pyrrha commented. "Would you like to ride on them today?"

At that, Ruby dropped her hot dog onto her plate and clapped her hands together.

"REALLY?"

"Of course! It sounds very fun! Let's do that after lunch, shall we?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeaaahh!"

Ruby proceeded to scarf down the rest of her lunch despite Pyrrha's gentle warnings. The brunette ended up giving herself a brain-freeze with the milkshake and she whined pitifully for a few minutes. Pyrrha chuckled and moved to sit beside her, kissing her temple sweetly.

Once their lunch was over and they'd tossed away their trash, they made their way over to the larger animal enclosures.

They marveled at the buffalo and zebra, then the gazelle and ibex, taking pictures occasionally as they went. Pyrrha particularly enjoyed the tigers.

Ruby giggled and leaned into her girlfriend's side.

"I think if you were an animal, you'd be a tiger, Pyrrha."

"You think so? They're very majestic."

"What do you think I'd be?" Ruby wondered.

Pyrrha took a moment to hum in thought.

"Maybe a flying squirrel? They're so cute and fast, just like you!"

Ruby ducked her face into her shoulder, chuckling bashfully.

They spent quite a long time near the giraffes, one of which came over to the edge of its pen to bend its neck over and observe them.

They passed by the leopards and lions cages. One of the male lions was lazing about and snoozing in the sun, his mane ruffled and unkempt.

"Heh," Ruby chuckled. "That's what Yang looks like on a Sunday morning."

Pyrrha laughed heartily for almost a full minute.

At last, they reached the animal rides. Ruby was delighted to see the options were the same as they'd been when she was younger - they could choose an elephant or a camel.

They ebbed their way to the front of the line, watching the other people enjoying their turns on the animals. Once they reached the front of the line, they needed to select their rides, and then step onto a platform to help them up.

Naturally, Ruby chose the elephant, excitedly asking his handler if she could feed him a peanut. He nodded and gave her a few, instructing her on how to hold it.

The elephant noticed right away and happily reached out his long, wrinkly trunk to take it from her palm. She giggled as she watched him munch on it, then climbed up onto his back where the saddle was clasped.

Ruby sat up high with the view of the entire zoo in her sights, grinning and wiggling about like an excited little kid. She patted the elephant's head and ears as she looked to her side, seeking Pyrrha.

When she saw her girlfriend, Ruby chuckled.

For whatever reason, she'd always imagined that if Pyrrha had to ride any animal, it would be a golden horse. So to see her seated awkwardly between the two brown humps of a camel was rather comical.

But as she did with everything, Pyrrha was handling it look as beautiful as possible.

Pyrrha met Ruby's eyes and waved, giving a wide, beaming smile.

Once they were ready, the animals' handlers started to walk them side by side. Ruby and Pyrrha laughed and called out to one another.

"Don't tell Weiss I did this!" Ruby said. "She won't come near me for a week!"

They lapped the ring together three times before their rides were over. Once back at the platform, Ruby hopped off her elephant and then turned back to pat his thick ear.

"Thanks for the ride! I had a lot of fun!"

He waved his truck as if he understood.

Once Pyrrha had reconvened with her, Ruby grabbed her hand again and jumped up and down.

"Did you have fun? I sure did!"

"I had a grand time, Ruby," Pyrrha giggled. "Camels are very impressive."

"So are elephants! So are _all_ animals!" Ruby gushed.

As they left the riding area, Pyrrha looked to her scroll to catch the time. She was shocked to discover they had already been out for over three hours, and that they would need to start heading back soon. She gently told Ruby as much.

"Awww, but it feels like we just got here!"

"I know. I feel the same way. I'm sorry," she sighed. "But let's make the most of it, shall we?"

"Yeah! Let's go do one more thing!" Ruby headed off once again, tugging Pyrrha behind her toward one place in particular.

The zoo still had the same format as Ruby remembered, and it didn't take long until they reached their destination.

"Heeeere we are~!"

Before them was a long stretch of chain-link fence, on the other side of which was a wide, flat expanse of grass and soil.

All kinds of animals roamed beyond it – deer, llamas, goats, sheep, ducks, peacocks, and chickens. Near the opening of the gate was a wooden sign with colorful green letters that read : "Petting Zoo".

Pyrrha stood still for a moment, as though stunned, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Can we... go inside?"

She sounded like she really wanted to.

"Of course!" Ruby beamed. "We just gotta ask the guy at the gate to let us in! Let's go!"

They showed their tickets to the man and he happily let them enter.

Inside, the sounds of sheep and goats and chickens could be heard all over. There were plenty of other people inside as well, some as young as toddlers and others as old as parents.

There were little dispensers of hard food pellets set up in the grass, and Ruby got a handful of them. Almost instantly, a herd of tiny goats and lambs came running over to her, baaing excitedly. Ruby laughed as they jumped up at her, pawing at her legs.

"Haha, okay okay! Here, there's plenty for everyone!"

Bending down, she opened her palm and fed each one of them in turn.

Once the pellets ran out, she got a package of crackers and started on those.

Pyrrha copied her, feeding the animals crackers and little pieces of fruit as they neared her. The animals really liked her calm, protective disposition and gentle touch.

Even the more timid deer were drawn to Pyrrha, cautiously sticking out their noses to bump against her hands. She laughed merrily, petting every creature that came her way.

Ruby was being followed by a baby llama and a string of goats, all of which she kept feeding and hugging in turn, ruffling their fur and giving them names.

At one point, a duck flew right up into her arms, and Pyrrha managed to snap a picture.

They spent nearly an hour in the petting zoo, feeding and playing with the animals, taking as many pictures as possible. They only decided to leave once they were both beginning to feel the effects of the eventful day.

Ruby gave one last hug to her llama, and Pyrrha patted a few more of the deer before they ultimately headed for the gates.

"Ahhh~" Ruby sighed. "That was a lotta fun~"

"It really was! They were so cute!"

"I got a little muddy, though, hehe."

As they walked through the crowds, bound for the exit gates, Pyrrha replayed all of the day's events in her mind. She couldn't stop smiling, so much so that her cheeks began to ache a little.

Ruby gave a yawn, and that was what pulled Pyrrha back to reality.

"Tired?" she guessed. "Would you like to stop and get some water?"

"Mm... yeah, maybe." Ruby rubbed her eyes and shook her head a little.

"Okay. Here, take my hand."

Pyrrha guided her to the edge of the crowds toward a food booth. She ordered a bottle of water for Ruby and handed it to the girl.

Ruby drank half, wiped her mouth on her sleeve, and then thanked Pyrrha before offering her the rest. Pyrrha thanked her as well and finished the bottle herself.

At last, they were ready to head home. Hand-in-hand, they made for the exit.

But one bashful comment from Ruby about needing to use the bathroom paused them for another few minutes. Ruby scurried away into a small building, and Pyrrha waited for her outside.

A little gift shop was nearby. Pyrrha kept an eye on the traffic going in and out of it.

She could make it.

Quickly, Pyrrha hurried into the gift shop. She didn't want it to be anything fancy or anything that would make Ruby feel guilty for not having gotten something for her in return. They had all kinds of stuffed animals, toys, clothes, jewelry...

Pyrrha scanned the store, and her eyes ultimately came to rest one on item in particular.

It was very simple, a little necklace with a pink pawprint in the center of black and silver beads. She could already see Ruby in it now.

Pyrrha made her purchase, slipped the little baggie into her blouse's pocket, and was back at the bathrooms before Ruby was out. She stopped outside to fix her hair casually, perking up when she saw Ruby emerge a moment later.

"Sorry!" the brunette said. "There was a liiiine. But I'm all good now!"

"I'm glad!"

Pyrrha once again offered her hand. When Ruby accepted, Pyrrha could feel the cool dampness on her skin from having washed her hands in the sink.

They followed the crowds out of the zoo's exit gates and back into the sidewalks of Vale, where the congestion faded and dispersed. The excited atmosphere began to dissipate, and a comfortable exhaustion settled in.

Ruby sighed happily as she leaned into Pyrrha's side.

"I had a looooot of fun, Pyrrha. Thanks for coming with me!"

"Of course! It was my first date too, you know!" She paused for a moment and had Ruby do the same. "I'm very glad you enjoyed today. I'll bet you were nervous this morning. I sure was."

"Oh yeah, definitely," Ruby chuckled sheepishly. "Just ask my team."

"Just ask _mine!_ " Pyrrha agreed.

They laughed for a moment, fingers curling together. When she was ready, Pyrrha cleared her throat and slipped one hand into her blouse's pocket.

"Oh, and Ruby?"

"Hm?"

Ruby looked up curiously as Pyrrha revealed the little pink baggie. Her girlfriend opened it and pulled out a small silver necklace. Ruby's eyes widened at the sight of the gift.

"Pyrrha-"

"It's not much," she said. "But I just wanted to get you something. So you'll always remember today."

Smiling warmly, she unclasped the ends of the necklace and slipped her hands behind Ruby's neck. Fastening it, Pyrrha gave a kiss to her forehead.

"I want you to remember today..." she said again.

She was about to pull away, but Ruby didn't let her. She locked her arms around Pyrrha's back and held her tightly, nuzzling into her collar.

"Of course I will!" she promised. "I always will! I had so much fun with you today, Pyrrha! I'll never ever forget!"

"Nor will I," she agreed. "Thank you for today, Ruby. I've never had so much fun before."

She hugged the girl a little tighter, and Ruby did the same. She gave a little wiggle, then channeled her older sister's powers a bit and tightened her embrace on Pyrrha.

When the last words of gratitude had been exchanged, the two girls pulled away a little, just enough to lock eyes. Ruby lifted herself up onto her tiptoes, and Pyrrha dipped down.

Their lips bumped in a shy, tender kiss.

They giggled onto each other's lips, brushing noses. Pyrrha lifted her girlfriend up a bit and gave a little spin. Ruby giggled again.

At last, she was put down and the two moved apart, though their hands stayed clasped together – inseparable.

"Ready to head back?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah. Let's tell everyone what a great day we had!"

"Sounds like a plan."

Together, they headed for the Air Ship dock, with fingers entwined, hearts light, and a million new fond memories dancing in their minds.

* * *

 **A/N: I always felt Pyrrha would work well with deer, and Ruby with messy little goats. Hope you enjoyed!**

 **If you like my work, please support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


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